Hey, it turns out that the Montreal Canadiens really missed Carey Price.

Who knew?

We’re joking, but it was easy to overlook just how important Price was to the Habs about a month ago when the star goalie was giving up five or six goals a game and had one of the worst save percentages in the NHL. It didn’t help that the team won its first two games with Charles Lindgren in net.

And then came the crash.

Losers of five straight games, it took the Nov. 25 return of Price for the Canadiens to rattle off five straight wins and climb back up the standings where (as of Monday afternoon, they were in playoff position). It’s proof that, even in a team sport, the difference between winning and losing — or qualifying for the playoffs — can come down to one player.

While not every NHL club has a one-of-a-kind goalie like Price, they all have an X-factor that can tip the scales and turn losses into wins.

Just ask the Tampa Bay Lightning, who missed the playoffs a year ago because they were without Steven Stamkos. Or, consider where the Winnipeg Jets would be this season if Connor Hellebuyck were playing similarly to last season.

Here is a look at how the seasons of Canada’s seven teams can sway based on the performance of one player:

(All information current prior to Monday’s four NHL games)

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

35 points, 2nd in Atlantic Division

X-factor: Frederik Andersen

Auston Matthews might seem like the obvious choice here, but the Leafs are so deep up front that they went 4-0 earlier this year without their leading scorer in the lineup. What are the chances Toronto could do the same without Frederik Andersen? The Leafs goalie, who had a slow October, went 9-2-1 in November, with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. Toronto scores so many goals that Andersen can allow five goals some night and still pick up the win. Though, as the season goes on and the games become tighter, expect his importance to rise.

WINNIPEG JETS

38 points, 1st in Central Division

X-factor: Patrik Laine

No question, the Jets are leading the Western Conference this season because they have a goalie in Connor Hellebuyck who is ranked among the top 10 in GAA and SV%. But the team also has a top-five offence led by Blake Wheeler (34 points) and Mark Scheifele (34 points). The X-factor, however, is Laine. A year ago, Winnipeg lost five of seven games when he got hurt in January. This year, the team is 9-2-1 when Laine scores and 4-4-3 when he doesn’t register a point. As he goes, so do the Jets.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

29 points, 3rd in Atlantic Division

X-factor: Carey Price

Montreal had lost five straight games when Price returned to action to close out November. In his first game back, he stopped 36 shots in a 3-0 shutout win against the Sabres and followed it up by allowing one goal in each of his next two starts. At the same time, the Canadiens have rediscovered their offence, having scored 16 goals in the last two games. With Price playing like an MVP candidate again, it doesn’t matter that Jonathan Drouin or Shea Weber have been out with injuries. At this level, he could win games with a roster of AHLers.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

30 points, 4th in Pacific Division

X-factors: Henrik and Daniel Sedin

It’s a sign of the times that the Sedin twins are not leading the Canucks in scoring. But it’s also a death knell of sorts. While it’s encouraging future stars — such as Brock Boeser (13 goals), Bo Horvat (10 goals) and Sven Baertschi (eight goals) — have taken over the offence, Vancouver still needs Daniel (six goals and 16 points) and Henrik (two goals and 16 points) to be more than passengers if the team expects to grab a playoff spot. Right now, that isn’t happening with regularity.

CALGARY FLAMES

29 points, 5th in Pacific Division

X-factor: Matthew Tkachuk

Mike Smith has been a huge upgrade over last year’s goalie tandem of Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson, but on some nights that still isn’t good enough. The team needs goals. And while Sean Monahan (14 goals) and Johnny Gaudreau (12 goals) are both pulling their weight, more is expected out of Matthew Tkachuk. The sophomore forward, who has four goals this season, has scored only once in his last 16 games. With Sam Bennett (3 goals) also searching for more offence, the Flames need Tkachuk to try and get up to 20-goal mark this season, if they hope to make the playoffs.

OTTAWA SENATORS

24 points, 6th in Atlantic Division

X-factor: Matt Duchene

The Matt Duchene trade was supposed to be a punch in the arm for the Sens. Instead, it’s had the unnerving effect of accidentally hitting your funny bone. Ottawa won its first two games with Duchene in the lineup before losing eight of the next nine games. Duchene has one goal and one assist in 11 games, which is not the type of production the Senators were expecting out of a No. 1 centre who two years ago scored 30 goals. Making matters worse is that Kyle Turris has eight points in 11 games for the Nashville Predators.

EDMONTON OILERS

24 points, 7th place in Pacific Division

X-Factor: Jesse Puljujarvi

So much of Edmonton’s success is reliant upon Connor McDavid that you can sometimes forget the team has other forwards. This year, it’s even easier to overlook the rest of the roster because of how poorly everyone but No. 97 has performed. That’s why Jesse Puljujarvi is so important to the Oilers’ success. McDavid cannot do it all. Yet, with Ryan Strome, Milan Lucic and others coming up empty, Edmonton needs the No. 4 overall pick, who was called up in November, to be an impact player. With three goals in his last four games, he’s off to a pretty good start.

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